Farmworkers appeal to mayor for urgent help

Community members streamed in from Cecilia’s Home, Rooipoort, Witklip, Makokskraal, Rooistad, Buffelsvlei, Klipplaatdrift, Rietspruitdam, Ratzegaaiskraal, Blesbok, Kroomdraai, Klippan, Opraap, Sterkstroom, Driestad and Tuis to talk to the executive mayor of JB Marks Municipality, Kgotso Khumalo. He listened to stories about non-existent service delivery, unemployment and ongoing problems that would make any human being break down in tears. Most of the challenges raised included water and sanitation, health, unemployment, farm evictions, education, lack of ID cards, sports and recreation, inadequate housing, social development, roads and social grants.

The purpose of these imbizos is to look into the living and working conditions of the farm communities and deal with the abuse on farms. It also explores resources, the rights of farmworkers, issues that affect education and, most importantly the availability of basic services like water.

‘We need to deal with those issues. What we have discovered is that some areas do not have electricity; some farmers refuse to allow those staying there to come in and out of the farms at night, claiming theft, and there are others who will not allow their workers to attend such meetings.’

A woman in the audience said she is a breadwinner with two sons in matric who both work on farms because they cannot get bursaries. One of them achieved three distinctions, one of which was for economics. For the past three years, she has been appealing to the municipality for a bursary but has not received any assistance. ‘I came to the farm in 1982 and have been struggling without electricity and water ever since. I do not want my child with three distinctions to end up like me,’ she said bitterly.

The 37-year-old Thandeka Mahia said the farmers terrorise them at night and they do not feel safe. ‘When they find you walking around at night, they beat you up. We have nowhere to go and would like the municipality to assist us in resolving this.’

Charles Lekgetho from Buffelsvlei says the ward councillor is not assisting them with their water and sanitation issues. ‘We are forced to drink water from a nearby river. The community relieves themselves in bushes. I hope the executive mayor will listen to us or else we will have to take our concerns to the premier’s office,’ he said.

The mayor has promised to deal with the concerns and plight of the community in farms. ‘We will form a form a rural development forum to assist the farm workers and introduce scholar transport. We will also work with land affairs to give them support and protection.

While the mayor described the meeting as successful, he admitted that the level of success could only be measured by the municipality’s ability to implement solutions to the issues that were raised.